Apple getting desperate

It seems that Apple is showing yet another sign of desperation as it hopes to compete with Android. It's created a page just two days after the S4 was announced showing what other phones don't offer (even though they do).

The bit that makes me laugh the most is the claim that "Only iPhone has the Retina display". OK, technically that's true... but only because it's an Apple marketing name. Others phones do actually have what are a "Retina display" in all but name, with the S4's screen actually having an even higher pixel density than the "Retina display".

The bit that makes me laugh the most is the claim that "Only iPhone has the Retina display". OK, technically that's true... but only because it's an Apple marketing name. Others phones do actually have what are a "Retina display" in all but name, with the S4's screen actually having an even higher pixel density than the "Retina display".

Yes, that one should be an eye-opener. You need a shovel to get through all the bullshit.

Yes, they're responding to a competitor's major product launch and trying to convince you that their phone is the best. Isn't that what they should be doing though? What any company should be doing?

Yes, but they're not doing it very well. Saying their phone is the only one with the "Retina" display is probably the worst offender, particularly as it is, literally, just a brand they've stuck onto a technical spec, which has been exceeded by its competitors.

(They could also say they're the only phone with Siri, or iCloud or iMessage, which would be slightly better, as whilst their rivals offer something similar, its harder to see that the competition offer something clearly better (though, in many cases true)) edit: ah, they do mention those.

Looks like a hastily drawn up page from the masters of spin, likewise Schiller's (false) comments that the S4 would launch with software a year old, or that Android needs 7 (or 9?) different sign-ins when you take it out of the box.

If even Apple are struggling to tell people why their stuff is best, then something is either badly wrong with their marketing department, or their products are no longer even close to top of the pile.

A few thoughts on the reasons on their page:

- Number 1, top of the list. "you should buy an iphone because iphone owners really like it". Umm, no.
- iphone is well made. (No objective measure there, they don't even claim its better made than anything else, just it's well made)
- retina display. covered.
- "great battery life". Is it? Better than others? Not sure that it is.
This seems to be going "every phone has this. So does the iphone". Where's the USP?
- the a6 chip. Not entirely sure what point they're making. Yes it's powerful. As is the competition. They don't claim its the fastest phone, as it probably isn't.
- It has LTE. Really? In the US, it was one of the last to get LTE. the Galaxy S2 had LTE.
- its camera is popular. They don't say its great, but popular. macdonald's is popular. Doesn't mean I can use that as an argument for their food quality.
- iTunes store. Seems to be selling it as a benefit, that you can only get stuff from one place. "Other mobile platforms have a myriad of fragmented store options". That might be a good argument, if you had to get your music from one store, your apps from another, books from another, etc. But you don't on google. Google Play has as many apps as Apple, and more books. Having the option of going to Amazon/Kindle/Nook as well as Google is a bonus not a drawback.
-The only phone with ios 6, icloud,siri. And its competitors all offer similar services and functions.

It ends with a good one though - "support from real people". That is IMHO the only reason to get an iphone over anything else, the rest of the list is BS, and weak BS at that. Some of the fanboys on here could write more convincing arguments to get an iphone.

Yes, but they're not doing it very well. Saying their phone is the only one with the "Retina" display is probably the worst offender, particularly as it is, literally, just a brand they've stuck onto a technical spec, which has been exceeded by its competitors..

It's not even a technical spec as retina devices are called retina even if they aren't the same resolution or above a certain PPI. There is no spec, it's just what they choose to say is retina.

As you say there are full 1080p phones which are 5 inches, much above the Apple retina devices, so they've got a cheek trying to set their stuff apart by saying they are the only ones with a retina display. Had anyone else used that term they would have been sued. The spec on other phones is higher, so making that statement is deliberately misleading people into thinking "retina" is superior and that nobody else has it.

I fail to see the point you're trying to make. That looks like a bog standard marketing page to me.

Quote:

And the App Store is home to over 800,000 apps ó all reviewed by Apple to guard against malware.3 Other mobile platforms have a myriad of fragmented store options, resulting in availability issues, developer frustration, and security risks.

Apple are destroying themselves, first with all the lawsuits and now with this kind of ridiculous marketing. Instead of being a loved brand I see more and more people saying they would never buy another Apple product.

We all know what happened when Jobs left the first time, they were faced with bankruptsy and bailed out by Microsoft.

It seems that Apple is showing yet another sign of desperation as it hopes to compete with Android. It's created a page just two days after the S4 was announced showing what other phones don't offer (even though they do).

According to data from an ad research company, Samsung increased it's U.S advertising budget from $78 million in 2011 to $401 million in 2012. More than Apple spend.

Now Apple could just sit back and hope their reputation and word of mouth will keep customers walking into their stores. But personally I don't think it's a sign of desperation if they decide to make a page highlighting why they're so proud of the iPhone and why they think people should buy it. Because Samsung won't think twice before making such a page, you can guarantee that.

It's a product war and i'm actually happy to see Apple fighting back. The worst thing they could do is be in denial about the situation and sit back resting on misplaced confidence that they'll always be the market leader.

Apple are destroying themselves, first with all the lawsuits and now with this kind of ridiculous marketing. Instead of being a loved brand I see more and more people saying they would never buy another Apple product.

We all know what happened when Jobs left the first time, they were faced with bankruptsy and bailed out by Microsoft.

How is it "ridiculous marketing"? It's a page showing off a product and it's features. Are they not allowed to talk about their own products on their own website? And the lawsuits have been flying in both directions remember.

And to compare Apple now to the Apple Steve Jobs left is ridiculous. It's a completely different company now with a completely different market presence. I tell you one thing... there is an Apple store near where I live, and it's always full of people. Every time i've gone in there to buy something, i've had to wait for a member of staff to serve me because they're always dealing with customers. It's never empty. Yes.. the insane growth and share price climb may have stopped, but I don't see a company in trouble. They have over $137 billion in the bank remember. All in cash.

How is it "ridiculous marketing"? It's a page showing off a product and it's features. Are they not allowed to talk about their own products on their own website? And the lawsuits have been flying in both directions remember.

The marketing is a knee-jerk reaction to the S4 announcement, only phone with Retina, when the res is much lower than a lot of handsets on sale, that's just cheeky, the S4 will have a much higher PPI and a better screen than the iPhone. Trying to sling mud at competitors, along with the lawsuits just make them look like a company you don't want to deal with.

It annoys me that people think Apple is on its last legs. They have record profits and revenue, as well as selling more iPhones than ever before last quarter. And the supposed "desperate" iPad Mini has been a massive success.

Apple is one of the biggest companies in the world with more money held up doing nothing than some countries.

I'm not an Apple fan boy, I used to have a S3, but making out that they are in any kind of trouble is ridiculous.

Yes, and as a publicly held company the board of directors are meant to make sure the stockholders and investors get maximum return for their investment. That cash pile is being questioned by certain very vocal investors who think they shouldn't be stockpiling cash.

Hardly on its last legs, but Apple used to be a leader in mobile computing. Now they just react to others and they don't like it. Thus all the marketingspeak to persuade their potential customers that iPhone is better even if it does not look like that at first sight. And second.

It annoys me that people think Apple is on its last legs. They have record profits and revenue, as well as selling more iPhones than ever before last quarter. And the supposed "desperate" iPad Mini has been a massive success.

Apple is one of the biggest companies in the world with more money held up doing nothing than some countries.

I'm not an Apple fan boy, I used to have a S3, but making out that they are in any kind of trouble is ridiculous.

They missed their last revenue targets and the share price is down 35% in the last 6 months.

Last legs it is not, and nobody has even suggested that - you are the only person to say that. However it's beginning to decline from their peak.

What we are seeing is an exact repeat of the aftermath of Windows vs. Mac. We are now witnessing Apple repeat a mistake they made back in the 90s again, and I think even they've realised how serious this mistake is and the repercussions it will have in the future which is why they've tried to sue every major Android OEM and attempt to damage Samsung and Google's brands.

That "why iPhone" page is a joke, Apple can't get upset about Samsung targeting them in their ads, because they did the same thing to Microsoft when they were going through their Vista drama. Everything goes in circles, and tbh, Apple's time at the top is coming to an end.

To me it sounds like a company that had such a visionary and strong leader that was so hands on, now they have lost that they have lost the direction they had.

Steve Jobs used to say how everything was done, he used to guide the marketing, the R&D, the ethics and the direction of the company. Now, without him we just see stifled innovation, mixed marketing messages "the new iPad" really?, then when the new one came out bloggers were calling it the 'new new iPad' - incredibly badly thought out and Steve would never have allowed it.

Revenues are down, stocks are down, product innovation has declined and they've taken to suing or putting down the competition on their website, rather than saying how great their products are, that all smacks of desperation to me.

Nobody is saying they are on their last legs, just that it is now a company in decline from the heights it was once at, and will probably continue that way for a while.

If people think I'm an Apple hater they are absolutely wrong by the way. I'm a former iPhone and iPad owner and I just see things the way they are. The lawsuits were unnecessary, innovation has slowed a lot, the marketing does smack of desperation, they did miss revenue expectations, they have disappointed of late and the share price is down 35%, these are all just observation rather than "hate".

It annoys me that people think Apple is on its last legs. They have record profits and revenue, as well as selling more iPhones than ever before last quarter. And the supposed "desperate" iPad Mini has been a massive success.

Apple is one of the biggest companies in the world with more money held up doing nothing than some countries.

I'm not an Apple fan boy, I used to have a S3, but making out that they are in any kind of trouble is ridiculous.

They are loosing market share but are still leading in some regions. I think the problem for Apple is that although they are doing well, there isn't really any room for growth. I think they have pretty much saturated the market. Whereas the android manufacturer's are seen as up and coming. The latest advert wasn't anything out of the ordinary for Apple, they have always made outlandish claims.